1009 - Sideshow Bob Ritchie feat. Alex Nichols (2/9/26)

Havana-based journalist Liz Oliva Fernández of Belly of the Beast joins us for an interview about the economic siege of Cuba by the United States. We talk about the looming specter of regime change and the collapse of Cuba’s healthcare system and power under the weight of a decades-long blockade. (NOTE: Liz’s connection was a little spotty so the ending of the interview is a little abrupt.) [This is the second half of our recent premium episode. If you would like to hear the first half where Felix and Will recap recent news such as the El Paso airspace closure and James Fishback's run for governor, subscribe to patreon.com/chapotraphouse]. Watch The War on Cuba: https://www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com/the-war-on-cuba

Alex Nichols is back to recap Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show featuring Kid Rock, Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, and Gabby Barnett. We also read a Tablet article complaining that Robert Kraft’s #StopJewishHate Super Bowl ad was too woke and before checking in on some old friends (including Megan McArdle) trying to downplay the significance of the Epstein scandal. Tickets for our ten year show are going fast, so buy now: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900643BE404F182 Follow Chapo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

David Roth returns to talk about the newest avalanche of Epstein files and what they tell us about the depravity of our elites and the West as a whole. We run through a gauntlet of incriminating emails with Larry Summers, Peter Mandelson, Peter Attia, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and more. Then, to lighten the mood, we talk about a profile of Woah Nancy and her poor staffers, plus a tip about Marie Concentrationcamp Perez. Find David’s work at Defector here: https://defector.com/author/david-roth Tickets for our ten year show are going fast, so buy now: https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900643BE404F182 Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

Will and Felix talk about the horrific killing of Alex Pretti. We talk about the execution, the man Alex was, why the right despises him, the inspiring response of the people of Minnesota, and reasons to hope that we haven’t irreversibly opened the gates of Hell. We also talk about the public responses, ranging from the bizarre justifications from Mike Cernovich and JD Vance to Sohrab Amari’s attempt at aloofness to the [???] from Tom Friedman. Plus: Marie Glusenkamp Perez dealing the shittiest weed in the world. Katherine’s article at The Intercept is out: https://theintercept.com/2026/01/25/tony-dokoupil-cbs-evening-news/  Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

Chapo Foreign Policy correspondent Derek Davison returns to talk about the decades that have been happening these past few weeks. We stop at Iran and cover the protests and the possible involvement of Israeli weaponry; at Syria, where Rojava and the SDF have all but capitulated to Ahmed al-Sharaa; at Greenland, where the potential of an inter-NATO conflict grows, and in Israel, where Trump attempts to do freemium diplomacy. Finally, we read a piece about the Brandon administration acquiring The Device. Find all of Derek’s foreign policy coverage at: www.foreignexchanges.news www.americanprestigepod.com

Over the holiday, Will and Chris caught up with Donald Borenstein, Andrew Epstein and Debbie Saslaw of the Mamdani media team to discuss how their video and online strategy helped win the campaign’s stunning victory. We look at their team’s success as the result of years of NYC organizing, how the candidate’s principles and policy informed the media strategy, the right and wrong lessons on political communication from their campaign, and the bizarre outsider art of Adams & Cuomo’s video output. PLUS: production, editing, color grading & gear talk for all you A/V heads.

Minnesotan community member Maryam Mohamad joins us to talk about the killing of Renee Nicole Good and the siege of Minneapolis by ICE and the DHS. We talk about the events and prosecutions that put the Somali community in the crosshairs, the regime’s attempt to spin this execution as self-defense, Border Patrol and ICE’s recent history of excessive force, and the predictably weak response from Democratic electeds. Maryam also talks about the Minneapolis and Somali community’s reactions to these horrors and their unwillingness to take this lying down. Follow Maryam on twitter @messyventura Just a few more days to buy the 2nd printing of ¡No Pasarán!: Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War over at chapotraphouse.store Year Zero: A Chapo Trap House Comics Anthology is also 15% off at badegg.co. Through end of year purchases of the book also include a free digital version of the comic. The digital version is also available through GlobalComix. Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

We return from break to talk about the horrific kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and the continuing moral depravity of the gangster state called America. We speculate on what this act of imperial aggression means for the rest of the world, the hilarious snubbing of the Venezuelan opposition, the predictably inept response from the Democratic party, and the hope that someone, somewhere, can stop the Fourth Reich’s plans. Finally, we read a recent Wall Street Journal piece on Trump’s aging and addiction to aspirin. Subscribe to patreon.com/chapotraphouse to hear our 1000th episode on Thursday! Just a few more days to buy the 2nd printing of ¡No Pasarán!: Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War over at chapotraphouse.store Year Zero: A Chapo Trap House Comics Anthology is also 15% off at badegg.co. Through end of year purchases of the book also include a free digital version of the comic. The digital version is also available through GlobalComix. Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

To round out a very dark year, Will and Felix take a look at some grim stories: the Brown shooter’s identity, another Epstein drop, Bari Weiss’s promotion to Regime Censor, and Jelly Roll being pardoned. We then turn to the TPUSA conference where the fight for Charlie Kirk’s legacy continues, with Nicki Minaj joining the fray and JD Vance working overtime to hold together a splintering coalition. Finally, we dive into a City Journal panel on the state of the modern right, where we learn what Gen Z conservatives think about Jews, Hitler, and marriage. By popular demand, ¡No Pasarán! Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War is back both for a second round of orders and an ebook. PLUS: everything is still 20% off for the holidays! Order now at https://chapotraphouse.store/ Year Zero: A Chapo Trap House Comics Anthology is also 15% off at badegg.co. Through end of year purchases of the book also include a free digital version of the comic. The digital version also available through GlobalComix. Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/ And Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chapotraphousereal.bsky.social

Alex joins us to talk about Bari Weiss’s bizarre interview with Erika Kirk, Trump’s #PACKWATCH response to Rob Reiner’s death, and Candace Owens’ feud with just about every single member of Con Inc. over her bestie’s legacy. After a brief grab bag of new Epstein photos, we finally stage an intervention for Rod Dreher, who is currently having his artistic voice deteriorated by the stuffy losers at The Free Press. By popular demand, ¡No Pasarán! Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War is back both for a second round of orders and an ebook. PLUS: everything is still 20% off for the holidays! Order now at https://chapotraphouse.store/ Year Zero: A Chapo Trap House Comics Anthology is also 15% off at badegg.co. Through end of year purchases of the book also include a free digital version of the comic. The digital version also available through GlobalComix. Follow the new Chapo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chapotraphousereal/